So how long does it typically last before it requires re-pairing? What is occasionally?
I would be using an Amazon Firestick. Anybody have any experiences to share regarding robustness of the Firestick to Tablo DVR remote connection?
Held for me on the iPhone since last firmware update - until last week. So, maybe a few months. Prior to that it would seemingly require reconnection every few days. I can’t speak for Firestick, which I only use at home. (The Firestick 4K has become my go-to device. Absolutely love it and am disappointed that Amazon did not upgrade it; it’s over two years old now.)
Bummer, that wouldn’t work at all, unless the Firestick is better for some reason.
I’m trying it the first time at an actual remote location today, and it’s a total fail. I set up my Tablo, it was working pretty well (replacing an AirTV that worked remotely for the hour or so it remained up before crashing). I tried the Tablo initially on WiFi, but Tablo WiFi is apparently miserable (tried both 802.11ac and 802.11n). Once wired in, it seems solid.
I paired my phone, tablet, and a TiVo Stream, that’s Android, Android, and Android TV. The phone over LTE was the only thing it could test at home, and it worked. I manually set the port forwarding on a Verizon FiOS router with gigabit service.
At my remote location now. I ran Tablo on the TiVo Stream… I was offered no Connect option. It just looked for a Tablo on the network. No good. The tablet and phone seem to search for something, but I can’t tell for certain if they’re actually hitting the Internet or not. Service here is 200Mb/s, not going to be an issue.
The mysterious nature of this “pairing,” with no obvious way to prove that it’s still paired, to force the connection, to even ask to only use the paired connection, in my opinion, make this anything but robust. When it fails, you have no way of knowing how or why.
Does Tablotv tech support ever read these posts?
Yes they do, but if you want to make sure they see a particular post you need to include @TabloSupport in your post.
However, what you have been asking for in this post is for real life experiences with the remote connection feature rather than technical support. The users here who use the remote connection feature everyday can probably provide better real life information than Tablo Support.
As with was already noted with using @ if you want a direct response - ask the Taboo Team page with various options.
I submitted below to Tablo tech support. My suspicion is they’ll say they only trouble shoot specific issues related to products people already own. But we’ll see…
To whom it may concern.
I currently have a Slingbox which I use to watch local home TV stations while I travel which is a lot. I am away from home for weeks and months at a time.
Slingbox is being discontinued. I am looking at buying a Tablotv DVR and paying for the subscription to replicate what my Slingbox has been doing.
However, I have heard that the Tablo DVR remote connection is not reliable. It stops working with no way of knowing why and the only way to restore it is to go home and re-pair the device to the DVR on the local LAN.
I have asked about this issue on the Tablo forums and am getting mixed responses. Some people say the connection is rock solid and lasts for years, others say it doesn’t work at all, and some in between.
My paired device would be an Amazon Firestick. Do you have any comments or suggestions on how reliable that connection would be? Any suggestions on what devices would be most reliable?
Thanks.
It doesn’t really sound like a specific “trouble shoot” type inquiry.
You’re probably right, thinking they’re not going to tell you “you got that right! Our product works sometimes, while other times it doesn’t”
There are numerous variables in the mix coming across different networks, using “consumer” internet for a server, depending on home equipment. A mix of devices, even within brands and apps to have an equal support response… maybe.
Since each users LAN/WAN topology can be different and changing, I don’t think one would expect a company to waste electrons on a pig-in-a-poke question.
Amazon fire sticks are pretty inexpensive; perhaps pairing a couple of them would decrease the likelihood that any one of them stops working? Don’t forget to also pair your phone, tablet, anything else that could also be used on the road.
I used to own a SlingBox. I didn’t find it particularly reliable, although many of the problems seemed to be interactions with the home router, port forwarding, lack of static DHCP leases, constrained upstream bandwidth, etc. I’ll bet many people with similar problems using Tablo remote access are actually experiencing some of this.
What I would like to be able to do is remote rip Tablo content to a traveling device, like an iPad. That way, even if the connection is lossy, I could watch the content offline.
Do you, by chance have an adroid device?
Well you understand my reluctance to spend $150-$200 for something that won’t do what I need.
I agree Firesticks are pretty inexpensive, I have several. But if the loss of remote connectivity is due to firmware changes at either end having multiple devices (Firesticks) doesn’t solve anything. I guess having multiple different devices makes a slightly better hedge, but, again, if the problem is at the Tablo end it’s moot.
As for Slingbox reliability, I have one (M2) that’s worked for at least 3 years, maybe longer, with no problems of any sort. The other one has lost its programming once or twice, maybe on average of once every 18 months (just a guess). But I can log in to my home PC remotely and reprogram the box if that happens.
This all may be somewhat moot, so far Tablo DVR seems to be the only option.
You can still buy a Hauppauge Broadway box but their sales person recommended against doing so.
The Nvidia Shield with a PC and a Plex account just seems too darn complicated.
There’s Amazon Recast, but it has a lot of unknowns too, like how robust is the remote connection…
I don’t think consumer products companies can promise each customer perfection under all situations.
From what little I understand, slingbox was/is “cloud based”…client devices connect to sling servers? Your home devices connect to sling servers? So sling carry a lot of overhead. Tablo connect just mostly responds to https://api.tablotv.com/assocserver/getipinfo/ providing public IP and the two forwarded ports. If this is the case, they do work differently and can’t be directly compare just because they both “remotely connect”.
The remote network has to allow access through those ports. Your providers equipment might need configured, and if you have your own networking equipment, then there’s another layer. This may not be your situation, but these are issues as to why some devices work flawless and others cry “don’t work”.
Inexpensive and ad-supported streaming services are making personal systems not the place to focus development. I use to have a PC based DVR. Real simple, utility-like, DVR-TV software. All the Myth, Plex, XBMC/Kodi, etc was over kill for my needs and configuring tuner cards - pita. (documentation drooped off between DVB v3 and v5). Development stopped as there wasn’t really a great need for it. 
There are commercial products, but again, overkill.
I found a compromise with tablo. It’s not completely what I’d like it to be, but close enough and there are tools to fill in some of the holes.
Do you use the remote connect feature away from home? If so how well does it work?
I thought about just putting a TV tuner in my home PC and accessing it remotely with a lap top. But then the home PC has to be on. I don’t want it on all the time and not guaranteed somebody will be home to flip the switch when I need it. Maybe I can turn it on and boot it up remotely?
But, if I went that route then maybe Nvidia Shield and Plex become an option.
The Firesticks and the Slingplayer app are AWESOME. Anywhere I go I plug one into a TV and as long as I have internet I can watch anything I can watch at home.
As for Cloud connections and what not I believe when you pair a device with a Tablo DVR that connection, the IP addresses, whatever is needed, are recorded on a Tablo server. So if you lose the connection that’s one place where the trouble might be.
Just saw you can buy a refurbished Tablo Dual DVR for $80. Maybe I should just do it and see how it works. I still have my Slingboxes for now…
How many other electronic devices are “on all the time”? Mine use to be always on, I have a low power processor, use 2.5" drives for less power consumption as well. Now it does suspend overnight. I have my router schedule wol before I get home. You can have the RTC turn them on via the BIOS everyday, after a scheduled shutdown/suspend.
My internet doesn’t really support it. I’ve always had OTA because there are no wires/cables here, (buried phone lines). Briefly had satellite, expensive! Trees/woods inhibit a decent cell signal. I’ve wireless internet (not cell) from a (great) local carrier. In Feb they put up a micro-tower a mile away, line-of-sight. Now I finally (virtually for the first time) have reliable internet connection. I pay a premium for 8up/2dn connection 
!
“one place” in a maze looking for the last piece of the puzzle 
While other’s have virtually no problems. I have no real need for it, though I tried it just to see.
I’ve tried it at work via wifi - can’t find my device/not connected to internet. Switch to 4G lte and it connects. So I’m guessing there’s some safety/firewall setting on the wifi not letting me connect.
Of course, I could fuss that it’s just not working and I know it’s tablo’s fault for loosing it’s paring (if I’d never switched networks).
Response from Tech Support
My paired device would be an Amazon Firestick. Do you have any comments or suggestions on how reliable that connection would be? Any suggestions on what devices would be most reliable?
This is unfortunately a bit hard to give a concrete answer to as one of the main portions of this feature, which is port forwarding, is being handled by your router. If the router is not configured correctly or the router encounters any issues, the UPnP (Universal Plug n’ Play) feature will also likely encounter issues or the router might start using ports different than the ones originally used. This can unfortunately terminate the remote connection and it is something that the Tablo cannot control.
As far as pairing between the Tablo app and the Firestick goes, this will depend on the Firestick and your network connections. However it is worth noting that many of our users do use Fire TV devices.
You can find more information about the remote streaming feature and compatible devices here: https://www.tablotv.com/out-of-home-streaming/
I hope this helps. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions.
Thank you,
I use Tablo Remote Access all the time. Candidly, it works really well but its reliability sucks.
It may stay connected a week or a month tops. We have to make sure we bring ALL remote devices home to resync EVERY chance we get. We sync four devices in hopes they will carry us though a lengthy trip from home. Usually, they all lose sync.
We use Android phones, an iPad and an AppleTV. Roku doesn’t support Tablo Remote. Tablo hasn’t updated the app. Chromecast doesn’t work well. Lots of freeze frames. The AppleTV works by far the best thus far, but it dropped its remote sync in less than week. SMH…
Remote Access is a really cool feature but Tablo really needs to up their game. I bought a Tablo and an unlimited subscription…then I found out it’s not reliable. I WOULD NOT BUY TABLO if I had a do over.
Hope it saves someone from wasting time and money.